Royal Navy vehicle colours in WW2

[LarryH57]

Over the years I have collected a few photos of RN vehicles, mostly in ports and harbours and shore bases etc.

Strangely (or perhaps not) I can't find any 'RN vehicle colour regulations' to confirm what was in use but I suspect that after the early war period of light grey it bacame whatever the Army Regulations were (which would have suited the manufacturers)

Inititally I think the RN used light grey (like this perserved Tilly) , though some people maintain the idea that the RN always used dark sea blue, which I suggest that was late-war 

The Wrens in their car photo, with lorry behind, looks to have black mudguards typical of Fords, and the ambulance also looks more light grey  - than dark sea blue (similar to the blue that Fleet Air Arm used on Vought F4U Corsairs in the Pacific). 

Civil registrations, white blackout edging and the use of RN may be a hangover from prewar & early-war like the RAF.

Also it looks like the ambulance was supplied by the British Red Cross, but I guess it is still an RN vehicle

Edited November 5, 2023 by LarryH57

[LarryH57]

Another photo - this one showing dark sea blue on two tugs, but it looks to be on land, with a two prop aircraft in the background? Was this dark blue from USN / Lease Lend vehicles?

Edited November 5, 2023 by LarryH57

[john1950]

Looks like a bomb disposal class. 

[Noel7]

28 minutes ago, LarryH57 said:

this one showing dark sea blue on two tugs, but it looks to be on land, with a two prop aircraft in the background?

The aircraft could be a Sea Hornet, which was carried by a few fleet carriers for a short period circa 1950. The image is too out of focus to be sure, but I can't see anything which would positively exclude the possibility.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Noel7

[10FM68]

I'm not sure about 'dark sea blue' for RN vehicles.  Surely, the colour was 'navy blue' which is altogether darker than the blue in your photo which, to my eyes, looks closer to an Americal colour.  Certainly, straight after the war the RN were in gloss navy blue with black mudguards.  Later, the black was dropped and, by the mid-80s most of their vehicles seemed to be in commercial colours with a preference for blue of whichever shade the manufacturer was using.

But, it might have depended, during the war, on where the vehicles were being used.  Those with a mobile role were probably in army colours whereas those limited to running around in dockyards may have retained pre-war finishes.

[10FM68]

1 hour ago, john1950 said:

Looks like a bomb disposal class. 

Aren't they simply putting bombs together?  Fuses one end and fins the other?

[Richard Farrant]

3 hours ago, LarryH57 said:

Over the years I have collected a few photos of RN vehicles, mostly in ports and harbours and shore bases etc.

Strangely (or perhaps not) I can't find any 'RN vehicle colour regulations' to confirm what was in use but I suspect that after the early war period of light grey it bacame whatever the Army Regulations were (which would have suited the manufacturers)

Inititally I think the RN used light grey (like this perserved Tilly) , though some people maintain the idea that the RN always used dark sea blue, which I suggest that was late-war 

The Wrens in their car photo, with lorry behind, looks to have black mudguards typical of Fords, and the ambulance also looks more light grey  - than dark sea blue (similar to the blue that Fleet Air Arm used on Vought F4U Corsairs in the Pacific). 

 

 

 

 

Larry,

The 'car' is not a Ford, it is a Bedford van, looks like a Utilicon personnel carrier conversion by Martin Walter judging by  the windows in the side.

Regarding colours, back in the 1970's I was involved in restoring a MorrisCommercial C4 air compressor truck that bore a RN number, the paint colour was actually SCC No.2 Brown. The truck was part of a contract for the army, vehicles were often switched to other Services. This vehicle went to Normandy and onward with a RN team who put ports back in working order althe way eastwards.

[Adrian Dwyer]

6 hours ago, 10FM68 said:

Aren't they simply putting bombs together?  Fuses one end and fins the other?

Before reading the thread, I looked at the image and saw bombs (500lb MC?, single British lug uppermost) being fuzed (i.e., having pistols fitted) and having drum tails fitted.  I did not interpret it as a Naval BD class: there are just too many new fuzes/pistols and transit boxes visible.  Having now looked more carefully, I'm still of that view.  The only other observation I would make is that for a land-based photo, the horizon seems very flat.  Whatever the case, great photo!  

Edited November 5, 2023 by Adrian Dwyer
pistol reference

[Adrian Dwyer]

9 hours ago, LarryH57 said:

Another photo - this one showing dark sea blue on two tugs, but it looks to be on land, with a two prop aircraft in the background? Was this dark blue from USN / Lease Lend vehicles?

The Historic Wings site <https://fly.historicwings.com/2013/04/operation-tungsten/> credits the image thus: Fleet Air Arm personnel fusing bombs for Fairey Barracudas on the deck of HMS Victorious the day before Operation TUNGSTEN.  Credit: IWM <https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188895>

Edited November 5, 2023 by Adrian Dwyer
IWM ref

[LarryH57]

Dear Members,

Thanks for you comments

I agree that gloss navy blue might be a better name for the blue used, I guess, post war

As for the 'like a Ford' I agree its not a Ford but only point is 'here we have another manufacturer producing vehicles with black mudguards, like RAF Ford Panel Vans and Fordson Sussex Balloon winches circa 1939-40, I guess it could be impressed?

Not much argument against RN light grey being used, as seen in the modelling fraterity?

Incidentally, could the use of RN in the nearside front window help with the direction of road raffic, in the same way as an RAF Roundel did?

Edited November 5, 2023 by LarryH57

[Rootes75]

21 hours ago, LarryH57 said:

Over the years I have collected a few photos of RN vehicles, mostly in ports and harbours and shore bases etc.

Strangely (or perhaps not) I can't find any 'RN vehicle colour regulations' to confirm what was in use but I suspect that after the early war period of light grey it bacame whatever the Army Regulations were (which would have suited the manufacturers)

Inititally I think the RN used light grey (like this perserved Tilly) , though some people maintain the idea that the RN always used dark sea blue, which I suggest that was late-war 

The Wrens in their car photo, with lorry behind, looks to have black mudguards typical of Fords, and the ambulance also looks more light grey  - than dark sea blue (similar to the blue that Fleet Air Arm used on Vought F4U Corsairs in the Pacific). 

Civil registrations, white blackout edging and the use of RN may be a hangover from prewar & early-war like the RAF.

Also it looks like the ambulance was supplied by the British Red Cross, but I guess it is still an RN vehicle

Two very nice Royal Navy Commers. I must admit in all my current Commer research that is the first RN Ambulance bodied Commer I have seen. 

[Richard Farrant]

9 hours ago, LarryH57 said:

As for the 'like a Ford' I agree its not a Ford but only point is 'here we have another manufacturer producing vehicles with black mudguards, like RAF Ford Panel Vans and Fordson Sussex Balloon winches circa 1939-40, I guess it could be impressed?

 

 

If you look at the attachments,, you will note the Bedford Utilicon was a vehicle type suppliied to government contracts during WW2 so unlikely to be impressed.

[LarryH57]

More photos - these are a bit more well known, and apparently were busses converted to represent the 'bridge' of a carrier or 'flying control'.

Does anyone know what type of vehicle or bus in these photos?

Edited November 6, 2023 by LarryH57

[LarryH57]

The attached might make an interesting project either full size or in 1/35 scale.

The box body type and shape is not familiar. The Allied star on the hood confirms it is from WW2

Note the small 'RN' sign in the windscreen.

Why it has 1570 on the fender but 31828RN as the vehicle number I do not know.

Edited November 6, 2023 by LarryH57

[RAFMT]

On 11/5/2023 at 11:25 AM, Noel7 said:

The aircraft could be a Sea Hornet, which was carried by a few fleet carriers for a short period circa 1950. The image is too out of focus to be sure, but I can't see anything which would positively exclude the possibility.

Not a Sea Hornet. It looks to be two separate aircraft. The one on the right is a Corsair - you can see the distinctive undercarriage door between two of the figures.

[Adrian Dwyer]

6 minutes ago, RAFMT said:

Not a Sea Hornet. It looks to be two separate aircraft. The one on the right is a Corsair - you can see the distinctive undercarriage door between two of the figures.

 <https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188895>

[10FM68]

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?s=a6518adc3affb075fb912bf34ae1e320&t=5064&highlight=royal

 

Have a dig around on the Maple Leaf Up site - there are quite a few photos of RN vehicles in WWII which you may find of interest.

[LarryH57]

Wow, I forgot all my old posts on MLU!